Roberto Velez-Alvarez struck and killed after allegedly slashing tires in Upper East Side road rage incident
NEW YORK - An alleged road rage attack turned deadly in Manhattan on Wednesday.
It happened on East 60th Street between Park and Lexington on the Upper East Side.
"Chaotic. It was very chaotic," witness Michael Gee said.
Witnesses said 26-year-old Andre Mosby was driving a sedan with Virginia plates when he got into some kind of altercation with 54-year-old Roberto Velez-Alvarez behind the wheel of a pickup truck.
Both cars were stopped on the road, when the truck driver got out and allegedly started slashing the tires of the sedan.
Then Mosby, who sources say had his wife and three kids in the car, drove into the truck driver, propelling him into the front window of a café.
"I just saw the guy stopping the car, gets out of the car, argues a little bit, comes back to car, grabs a knife, goes back, flatten the back tire, you know, the front one, goes in front of the car. The next thing that happens, is the wife gets out of the car and the driver literally goes through," witness Betina Tissi said.
Velez-Alvarez was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Mosby stayed on scene, where he spoke to police.
"It's just so sad that somebody had to die, but I feel like it's a consequence of choices. Maybe it's a wrong choice you choose to get a knife and go over somebody's family. You have kids there. What are you thinking? How angry can you be to have this reaction? Is it worth it? Just 'cause of a scratch on the car?" Tissi said.
Police are now investigating this as a homicide. Mosby was charged overnight with manslaughter and assault.